Assignment 1

(Score for Question 1: ___ of 15 points)

1. Both Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson were influenced by the Romantics. Choose one of the two poets. Provide at least three ways that he or she reflects Romantic thinking in his or her writing. Then give an example from one of the works that you studied in this unit that illustrates that characteristic.

Answer:

Type your answer here.

(Score for Question 2: ___ of 15 points)

1. You learned a lot about Whitman and Dickinson’s writing styles during this unit. Although they both broke stylistic boundaries, their styles are different. Write a paragraph in which you explain one characteristic of either poet’s style. Name the characteristic, explain how it is used in the poetry, and then describe the effect that the characteristic produces. Support your answer with examples from the poems.

Answer:

Type your answer here.

(Score for Question 3: ___ of 25 points)

1. Now return to your book, and select a poem from Whitman or Dickinson that you did not study in the unit. Explain how the poem reveals Romantic thinking. Cite examples from the poem as your support.

Answer:

Type your answer here.

Assignment 2

1. How does Poe use language to create mood in “The Raven”? Besides language, what other factors contribute to the mood of this poem? Discuss two additional factors, chosen from the following list: rhyme and repetition, the speaker’s despair, the raven itself, the poem’s conclusion.

Answer:

Type your answer here.

(Score for Question 2: ___ of 18 points)

1. In “The Birthmark,” what does the birthmark represent for the two main characters, Aylmer and Georgiana? At the end of the story, what does the birthmark come to symbolize?

Answer:

Type your answer here.

(Score for Question 3: ___ of 19 points)

1. In America, the movement known as Romanticism took two forms: Bright Romanticism, or Transcendentalism, and Dark Romanticism. What do Transcendentalism and Dark Romanticism have in common? How are they different? You might find it helpful to create a Venn diagram to organize your thinking. Then answer the questions in complete sentences.

Answer:

Type your answer here.

Assignment 3

1. In what ways is “The Cask of Amontillado” a Gothic story? Give at least two elements of Gothic literature and give an example of each from the story.

Answer:

Type your answer here.

(Score for Question 2: ___ of 30 points)

1. The narrator in “The Cask of Amontillado” is unreliable and cannot be trusted. How does the unreliable narrator contribute to the element of suspense in the story?

Answer:

Type your answer here.